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February 10, 2026
Masterpiece, fridge magnet, phone case … opera: how Hokusai’s The Great Wave hit the stage
He survived a stroke, a lightning strike, a fire – and created one of the world’s most recognisable images. Now the Japanese artist’s ‘wild, fascinating’ life has inspired an opera
TL;DR
- Opera has historically drawn inspiration from visual artists for its sets and designs, but few operas actually depict visual artists.
- Scottish Opera's "The Great Wave" is a new production inspired by the life and work of Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, creator of "Under the Wave off Kanagawa."
- Hokusai (1760-1849) lived an eventful life, surviving lightning, a stroke, and a fire, while producing around 30,000 works under at least 30 different names.
- The opera's non-linear structure, beginning with Hokusai's funeral, reflects an Eastern worldview and highlights his relationship with his artist daughter, Ōi.
- Composer Dai Fujikura and librettist Harry Ross were inspired by Hokusai's life and the unique bond with his daughter, Ōi.
- The opera incorporates Prussian Blue pigment, a rare commodity in Hokusai's time, which enabled him to achieve vibrant colors for his "Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji" series.
- Fujikura uses a combination of Western orchestral instruments and traditional Japanese instruments, including the shakuhachi, to represent Hokusai's world and music.
- The production is a cross-cultural collaboration, with plans for it to transfer to Japan, and aims to present Hokusai's story universally through its set and costume design.
- Hokusai's resourcefulness and capacity for reinvention are seen as relevant themes for contemporary artists.
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